Door



Dec. 12, 1933. J. P. MCWILLIAMS DOOR Filed March 28, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheetl Dec. l2, 1933. IJ. P. McwlLLlAMs DOOR Filed March 28, Q/g

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 j MAM@ Dec. 12, 1933. J. P. McwlLLlAMs DOOR Filed March28, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 12, 1933 UNITED. STATES PATENTOFFICE 1 DOOR Application March 28, 1931. Serial No. 525,899

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements. in doors and more particularlymetal side doors for railway cars of the house type. k

In the art of metal side doors for railway cars, it is common to employa rectangular frame composed of rolled commercial shapes, to the angesof which are riveted the edges or margins of the sheet metal panels.Actual experience has shown that it is practically imposlt sible toobtain complete true full surface contact between the overlapped rivetedmarginal portions of the sheets and the flanges of the frame members,due to the fact that the marginal portions of the sheet will buckle orwarp more or less between rivets` This results in gaps at the margins cfthe sheets so that rain and other foreign matter may frequently bedriven into and through the gaps when the car is in motion, particularlyif such gaps arer along the vertical edges of the doors, thus allowingrain or other foreign matter to enter the .r through the door proper,notwithstanding at all the edges of the door may be properlyweather-sealed with respect to the car body. One object oi my inventionis to provide a door of that type comprised of frame elements and sheetmetal panels riveted thereto so constructed that the edges of the sheetmetal panels will be Weather protected throughout, so as to therebyeliminate danger of rain or other foreign matter entering through anyportion of the door proper.

In car doors of the class hereinbefore referred to, it is well knownthat the same are subject to Very rough handling at times with danger ofthe doors becoming skewed or distorted, particularly from slamming ofthe doors against the usual door stops, with the result that itthereafter becomes diflicult to slide the doors open and shut as well asultimately requiring replacement of ormajor repairs to the doors.

Another object of my invention therefore is to provide a door of thattype comprised of frame elements and sheet metal panels secured thereto,so constructed that blows transmitted to the door when brought againstthe door stops, will be delivered directly to the ends of and length-Wise oi certain of the frame elements in line 50 with the stops so thatthe strains will be most effectively distributed over the entire doorwith minimization of danger of distorting or skewing the door andwithout danger er" locaiized indenting of the door edge portions.

55 Other objects of the invention are: to probile car.

vide a door frame structure of exceptional strength and rigidity; toprovide a door which, per se, is weather-proof throughoutyand to providea door having all of the advantages hereinbefore mentioned that will beeconomical tofabricate and of minimum Weight consistent with thedesiredstrength.

In the drawings, forming a part of this speccation, Figure l is a front,elevational view of a door having my improvements incorporated therein.In this ligure is illustrated the main door only of a two doorarrangement such as employed on automobile cars. Figures 2 and 3 areenlarged, vertical, sectional views corresponding to the section lines2-.2 and 3 3 re- 70 v spectively of Figure l. Figure 4 is an elevationalView, parts being broken away, illustrating more particularly thedetails` of construction at the corners of the door, shown in Figure 1.Figure 5 is a vertical, sectional view correspond- 75 ing to the line5-5vof Figure 4. Figure 6 is an enlarged, horizontal, sectional viewcorresponding to the section line 6-6 of Figure 1, illustrating the maindoor of Figure 1 in association with an auxiliary door as applied to anautomo- Figure 7 is a vertical, sectional View corresponding to thesection line '7 7 of Figure 5. AndV Figure 8 is a detailed, perspectiveview oi the upper end of the rear vertical frame element of the door,shown vin Figure 1.

In said drawings, and referring first to Figure 6, sufficient portionsof thecar body Aare there illustrated to show the manner of applicationof my improved doors to a car of the automobile or furniture type. Asthere shown, the car is provided with a door opening, which is definedin part by vertically extending Z-bar posts 10 and 11, having suitableVwood fillers lil-12 appliedl thereto, the side wall sheathing of thecarfbeing indicated at 13. In the double door type of car, each of theposts will be provided with a weather sealing strip 14, each having asuitable specially former flange15-15 adapted to provide a weathtightjoint or seal ywith a corresponding cooperating flange 16 of a weatheror sealing 100 strip 17 secured to the respective rear edges of the maindoor A and auxiliary door B. In the following description, the main doorA will be described in detail with particular reference to improvements,it being understood that the auxiliary door B is similarly constructedexcept as to certain features at the forward edge of the door B,hereinafter pointed out.

In carrying out my invention, which may be incorporated either in singletype of side doors or in double type of side doors for railway cars, thedoor is preferably comprised of a rectangular frame consisting of afront edge Z-bar 17, a rear edge vertically extending Z-bar 18; a tophorizontally extending Z-bar 19', a lower, horizontally extending Z-bar20; and three sheet metal panels 21, 22 and 23, together with certainother reinforcing plates and angle clips hereinafter referred to.

In constructing the rectangular frame, the top and bottom Z-bars 19 and20 extend the full width of the door, as best shown in Figures 1 and 4.The top Z-bar 19 is arranged with its innermost flange 21 extendingvertically upward, that is away from the central area of the door. Theweb is extended horizontally, as indicated at 22, and the outer flange23 extends downwardly, as best shown in Figures 2 and 5. The bottomZ-bar 20 has its web 24 extended horizontally, the inner flange 25extending downwardly in the inner plane of the door and its outer flange26 extended vertically toward the central area of the door.

Each of the vertically extending front and rear Z-bar frame elements 17and 13 extend from the web of the bottom Z-bar 20 to the web of theupper Z-bar 22, and are so disposed, as best shown in Figure 6, that theinnerrllanges 27 and 28 in the inner plane of the door extend outwardlyor away from the central area of the door, whereas the outer flanges 29and 30 respectively extend inwardly toward the central area of the door.In this connection, it will be understood that all of the inner flanges21, 25, 27 and 28 of the four frame elements are in the same plane andthat all of the outer anges 23, 26, 29 and 30 are in a common plane.Where the ends of the vertical Z-bars 17 and 18 meet the upper and lowerZ-bars 19 and 20, angle clips 31-31 are riveted in the corners to securethe same together as illustrated inFigures 2, 4 and 7, thus providingextremely rigid joints at the corners of the frame.

In order to permit of all the frame elements lying in the same plane ashereinbefore described, the vertically extending Z-bars are coped toclear the flanges of the top and bottom Z-bars. Referring first to therear Z-bar 18, and particularly Figures 4, 5 and 8, the web 32 thereofis coped or notched, as indicated at 33, for a depth corresponding tothe width of the top Z-bar-flange 23. In addition, the outer ange 30 ofsaid rear edge Z-bar 18 is cut off, as indicated at 35, to a pointsomewhat below the shoulder 36 for the purpose hereinafter described.With this construction of the rear edge Z-bar 13, the flange 23 'of thetop Z-bar may be allowed to extend the full length of said top Z-bar 19,although said flange will preferably be beveled off, as indicated at 37in Figure 4, at the rear edge of the door. The front edge Z-bar 17 willbe similarly coped or cut away as the rear Z-bar 18, but in the case ofthe top Z-bar 19, both the web 22 and the depending flange 23 thereofwill be out off or coped, as indicated at 38, in line with the web ofthe front edge Z-bar 17. This is done in order to provide clearance forthe combined sealing and guiding strip 39 secured to the forward edge ofthe auxiliary door B, which strip or element 39 is extended the fullvertical height of the auxiliary door. The same construction of frontedge of the maindoor A would be used when the door A is employed as asingle door, it being understood that an equivalent weather-sealing anddoor stop element corresponding to the element 39 would be mounted onthe front door post of the car.

At its bottom, the rear edge Z-bar or frame element 18 is coped the sameas at the top except that it is unnecessary to cut back the flange 30 tothe extent shown at 35 in Figure 8. Likewise, the lower end of the frontZ-bar or frame element 17 is made the same as at the top thereof, exceptthat the flange is not cut as far back as at the top and also the lowerhorizontal frame element or Z-bar 20, at its front end, will have itsweb and upstanding flange cut back flush with the web of the Z-bar 17 inorder to provide the necessary clearance for the combined guiding andweather sealing strip 39 of the auxiliary door. With the arrangementdescribed, it is evident that blows transmitted to the door from theusual door stops in line with the top and bottom frame elements aredelivered directly to the ends of said top and bottom frame elements,the blows thus being distributed lengthwise of the top and bottomelements and hence most effectively to the entire door with minimizationof distortion or skewing of the framework. Should there be any otherstops or shoulders intermediate the top and bottom lines of the doorencountered when the door is forced open, the blows therefrom will bereceived by the out turned flange of the rear edge Z-bar or frameelement 18, thus minimizing any tendency to distort or buckle the sheetmetal panels, as will be apparent.

As hereinbefore described, preferably three sheet metal panels 21, 22and 23 are employed to form the closure for the framework of the door.These panels are arranged one above the other and are overlappedhorizontally, the lower flange of the upper panel 21 being disposed onthe outer side of the upper flange of the middle panel 22, as indicatedat 40 in Figure 2, and a similar construction 40 is employed where themiddle panel 22 overlaps and is riveted to the lower panel 23. The upperedge of the-upper panel 21 is offset inwardly, as indicated at 41 inFigure 2 and lies against the inner face of the depending flange 23 ofthe upper Z-bar 19 and is riveted thereto, as shown, so as to provide aweather sealed joint. The lowermost panel 23 has its lower flange 42riveted to the outer face of the upstanding flange 23 of the lower Z-bar20, as shown in Figure 3. Along each vertical edge, the panel sheetshave flat marginal portions 43-43, which overlap the outer faces ofthe-flanges 29 and 30 of the front and rear edge Z-bars 17 and 18,respectively, as best shown in Figure 6. By cutting back the inwardlyextended flanges of the front and rear bars 17 and 18, as shown best at35 in Figure 8, it is evident that the upper marginal portion of thepanel 21 may be bent under the depending flange 23 of the top Z-bar 19without leaving gaps or openings that might otherwise permit entry ofrain or other foreign matter. All of the panel sheets are preferablyprovided with a plurality of horizontally extending corrugations 44-44,the crests of which lie flush with the marginal portions 43, theoriginal planes of the panel sheets or uncorrugated portions lying inthe inner plane of the door coinciding with the plane definedr by theout turned flanges of the frame elements 17, 18, 19 and 20.

As hereinbefore indicated, it is practically impossible to rivet a panelsheet to a flange of the frame element without more or less gapsresulting between the spaced rivets and in order i to overcome thispractical dilculty and prevent admission of rain or other foreign-matter through the sheet` metal and frame element joints, the frameelements or Z-bars willbe specially rolled to provide longitudinallyextending shoulders or ribs 1545 in line with the webs of the Z-bars andprojecting outwardly beyond the surface of the inwardly extended ilangesa distance corresponding to the thickness or gage of the sheet metalpanels, as clearly shown in Figure 6. The extreme edges of the sheetmetal panels will be brought as close as possible to said longitudinallyextending shoulders so that said shoulders 45 act as guards orweatherprotecting franges for the joints to prevent admission of rain orother foreign matter through any gaps that may be unavoidable in theriveting of the sheets to the frame elements. Such weather-protectingconstruction is particularly advantageous on the front and rear edges ofthe Vdoor and to some extent along the bottom edge and, for economy ofmanufacture, the top Z-bar 19 will also preferably be similarly rolledeven nough this sealing arrangement is not vthere necessary because ofthe underlapping of the sheet metal, as shown and described. With thisconstruction, an effective joint seal is formed without any increasedexpense in manufacture of the several parts or assembling.

In order to strengthen or brace the frame elements and the sheet metalpanels along the several edges where a groove-like or tubular formationresults from the manner of attaching the sheets and frame elements,reinforcing or bridging strips are preferably employed on the inner sideof the door, as indicated at 46, 47, 48 and 49 for thetop, bottom, frontand rear edges, respectively. In the case of the top and bottom plates46, the same are extended the full width of the door, as shown, Whereasthe vertical plates or strips 48-49 extend between the top and bottomplates Li6--47. Each of said plates is riveted to the flange of thecorresponding frame element along its outer marginal portion, the topand bottom plates 46 having their opposite edges riveted to the sheetmetal panels in the original plane of said sheets at the opposite sidesof the corresponding grooves or tubelike formations of the doorstructure. In the case of the vertical bridging plates 48-49, the

panel sheets will preferably be laterally outwardly offset, as indicatedat 50-50, an amount corresponding to the thickness or gageof the plates48-49 and the latter riveted to said olfset portions, as indicated at5l-5l in Figure 6. With this arrangement, as will be evident, theoutermost marginal portions of all of the plates 46, 47, 48 and 49 liein a common plane and the inner vertical edge portions of the verticalplates 48-49 are laterally outwardly offset from said plane so as toeliminate any shoulders or projections in the central areas of the sheetmetal panels, which might foul the door posts or other fixed parts ofthe car in moving the 'f' door to open and closed position. As will beobvious, all of the bridging plates effectively serve to preventtwisting of the respective frame elements about the longitudinal axesthereof.

Referring to the auxiliary door B, the same has incorporated therein allof the structural features or" the main door A, except as necessarilymodified at the front edge where an auxiliary door post 52 is attachedto the front Z- bar frame element 117. Said auxiliary post 52 ispreferably in the form of a modified L or Z sectionhaving a relativelynarrow inner flange 53, main web 54 extending at right angles to theplane of the door, and an outer, heavy flange'55 extending generallyparallel to the plane of the door and having its forward'portion 56 bentlinwardly so as to provide a guiding surfaceA for the front edge of themain door A. Said post 52 and element 39 are riveted to and on oppositesides of the outwardly extending flange of the Z-bar 117, as clearlyshown in Figure 6. To I brace the auxiliary post 52, a verticallyextending plate 57 is employed, the latter having a flat edge 58 rivetedto the sheet metal panels, an inwardly inclined section 59 and. a flatportion 60 riveted to the web` 54, as shown.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrativeand I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within thescope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a door, the combination with a main door portion comprised ofsheet metal; of a frame including a flanged bar along one edge of thedoor, the corresponding adjacent margin of the sheet metal being lappedover the outer face 'of the flange and secured thereto; andl a shoulderextending lengthwise of the bar opposite andimmediately adjacent thefree edge of the sheet margin to weather protect the lapped joint of theflange and sheet.

2. In a door, the combination with a main door portion comprised ofsheet metal; of a frame including flanged bars extending along the frontand rear vertical edges of the door, the corresponding adjacent marginsof the sheet -metal being lapped over the outer faces of the bar flangesand secured thereto; and a shoulder extending lengthwise each baropposite and closely adjacent the corresponding free edge of the sheetto thereby weather protect the lapped jointsv of the flanges and sheet.

3. In a door, the combination with a main door portion comprised ofsheet metal; of a frame including a Z-bar along one edge of the door andto the outer face of one flange of Which the marginal portion of thesheet is secured, said Z-bar having a shoulder extending lengthwisethereof adjacent to and directly opposite the secured edge of the sheetto thereby provide a weather seal for the joint.

4. In a door, the combination with a main door portion comprised ofsheet metal; of a frame including Z-bars along the front and rearvertical edge of the door, the marginal portions of the sheet beingsecured to the outer faces of flangesy of the Z-bars, each Z-bar havingan integral longitudinally extending shoulder adjacent to anddirectlyopposite the corresponding free edge of the sheet to thereby provide aWeather seal for the joints.

5. In a door, the combination with a rectangular frame comprised of fourZ-bars having their inner flanges extending away from the door centerand their outer flanges extending toward the door center; of sheet metalsecured along the bottom and vertical sides to the outer faces of thecorrespondingly inturned Z-bar flanges, the top portion of the sheetmetal being bent under and secured to the under side of the inwardlyextended flange of the top Z-bar.

6. In a door, the combination with a rectangular frame comprised of fourZ-bars having their inner flanges extending away from the door centerand their outer flanges extending toward the door center; of sheet metalsecured along the bottom and vertical sides to the outer faces of thecorrespondingly inturned Z-bar flanges, the top portionof the sheetmetal being bent under and secured to the under side of the flange or"the top Z-bar which is extended toward the door center; and shoulders ont e vertically extending Z-bars extending lengthwise thereof adjacentrand opposite to the corresponding sheet metal edges to provide weatherprotected joints therefor.

7. In a horizontally slidable door adapted to abut door stops, thecombination with top and bottom Z-bars extending the full width of thedoor; of front and rear vertically extending Z-bars secured at theirupper and lower ends to said top and bottom Z-bars, the outer flanges ofall the Z-bars being extended toward the central area of the door, theouterflanges and webs of the vertically extending Z-bars at the top andbottom being coped to accommodate the adjacent flanges of the top andbottom Z-bars; and sheet metal panels directly secured along their edgesto said Z-bars.

8. In a door of the character described, the combination with a topZ-bar; of front and rear vertical edge Z-bars, all of said Z-bars havingtheir outer flanges extended inwardly toward the central area of thedoor and the top Z-bar extending laterally beyond the vertical Z-bars ateach end thereof; and a main sheet metal portion secured alongitsvertical edges to the outer surfaces of said flanges of the verticalZ-bars, the upper margin of said sheet metal portion being bent underand secured to the inner side of the depending flange of the top Z-bar,the upper ends of said vertical Z-bars being coped to accommodate thebending of the panel sheets.

9. In a horizontally slidable door, the combination with a top,horizontally extending Z-bar having its web disposed horizontally andthe inner and outer iianges extended upwardly and downwardlyrespectively; of front and rear vertically extending Z-bars disposed inthe same plane as said top Z-bar, the web and one of the flanges of eachof the vertically disposed of the top Z-bar; and bridging strips on theinner side of the door each secured along its outer edge portion to theinner flange of a v:f1-bar and along its inner edge portion to the panelsheets. Y

l0. In a door of the character described, the combination with arectangular frame comprised of four Z-bars, each having its outer flangeextended toward the central area of the frame and disposed in the sameplane, the Webs and outer flanges, at the opposite ends of two of theZ-bars on opposite sides of the frame being coped to accommodatetheinwardly extended flanges of the corresponding remaining Z-bars;means rigidly uniting the Z-bars at the several corners of the frame;and a closure for the frame comprised of a plurality of sheet metalpanels having the marginal portions thereof laterally outwardly offsetfrom the original plane of the sheets, said marginal portions on thevertical sides and bottom being lapped over and directly secured to theouter faces of the inwardly extended flanges of the corresponding Z-bars, said panels being provided also with horizontally disposedcorrugations pressed outwardly from the original plane of the sheets;top and bottom horizontally extending bridging plates secured to therespective top and bottom Z-bars and the panel sheets on the inner sideof the door; vertically extending bridging plates on the inner side ofthe door, each secured to a Z-bar along one edge and to the panel sheetsalong its other edge; and means on each of the vertically extendingZ-bars projecting over, closely adjacent to, the corresponding verticaledges of the panel sheets to thereby weather protect the Vertical lappedjoints between the panel sheets and vertical Z-bars.

JOHN P. MCWILLIAMS.

